New Colt Coral

I got a purple Colt coral last night. It is beautiul. Its about 4" tall with several branches. I didn't drip acclimate it, but I wish I had. I floated it for about an hour and a half and added very small amounts of water every 15 min or so.

I put it in...and it wilted and is lying down. I can't stand to look at it. This morning it was still down. But I think some of its little polyps were open while it was lying down. I hope I didn't kill it. Do they wilt like that normally? Will it rebound?

It was under T5's at the shop and was healthy and growing. I have it on the bottom of my tank and halfway under a ledge so it is getting a fairly low light. I turned the light off when I put it in last night.

150g 24" deep
2x250w MH 10" above tank
PH 8.2
ALK 12
Calcium 500
Sal .026
Nitrates 10ppm

 

I have tried two of those corals before and they both did the exact same thing. They took about a week to die.

 

purple huh, sure its not a kenya??

 

No I'm not sure. The owner told me it was a Colt. It's stalk is a dark purple and the branches have what look like tiny yellow flowers on them. I can get a picture tonight.

It looks like someone let the air out of it. I'm so bummed.

 

Its a mini version of this. I just called home and its still lying on the ground.

 

Mine was red and white. Nice looking but I just can't seem to make one live.

 

I had one that lasted about a month. It was doing fine for the first 2 weeks then it just started to wilt. It eventually detached itself from the frag plug and that was the last I saw of it.

 

I called and talked to the shop about it. Last night he said Colt. Today he said "its like a tree coral or something". It is a little different from the pics I've found because its a dark purple with tiny yellow/tan polyps (what look like little flowers to me).

I wish it would live dang it!

 

it looks more similar to a type of dendronephthya to me.

 

I'll take a picture of my sad little limp coral when I get home. Thanks for your help everyone.

 

Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Cauliflower Colt Coral

This is your colt coral. I used to have one for years. They are relatively pretty easy to raise.

 

I'm kinda surprised by this thread -- so many people having had bad luck with colts! They are (supposedly) one of the easiest corals out there, and I've never heard of them being hard to keep.

Winy is right -- it does sound more like a nepthya. They are more difficult to keep than colts, but still are not considered "hard" by any means. Hopefully yours will pull through!! Waiting for pics

 

Our rat dog ate my laptops cord so I had to get on the old desktop. Here are two pictures. Its polyps are out. Its far left branch has lifted a cm off the sand.

Its Alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So is it a Colt or something else?? The little piece next to it fell off on the way home. I think it loooks a little better.

 

That's definitely not a colt. I don't know what that is! Maybe Yote or Winy will know.

 

Okay I looked up what I have had such bad luck with. It is a Strawberry Coral. I don't know if it is related but they did what yours is doing before they died.

 

I pulled out the little branch that fell off in transit. It was pretty hard. Not slimy like I read Colts would be. I am wondering what kind of light to give it. Maybe it wants more light? But I don't want to stress it anymore.

 

thats a carnation and those are hard to keep.